MusicRadar

Alex Blanco has remixed under a variety of pseudonyms.

View in gallery

Alex Blanco is a producer, remixer and DJ based in West London. He has been releasing tracks for ten years, taking on remixes for major labels like Polydor, Island and Mercury and for top ten artists such as Gabriella Cilmi, Just Jack and Simply Red.

He also produces and remixes under a variety of pseudonyms with people like Seb Fontaine, Jon Carter and Oliver Lang for a string of independent labels.

We asked him what it takes to succeed in the remixing world.

What projects would you rate as being your best to date?

"One favourite is a remix of Solution by Superbass (Toolroom Records) that I did with Seb. Superbass are two friends called Paul Harris (Dirty Vegas) and Jules Vern (Stretch & Vern), and I just love the way we reworked their already beautiful track into a big-room record but completely kept the vibe. A proper remix!

"For major labels, it's definitely got to be my remix of Stare Into The Sun by Graffiti 6, done before the track was used in a big TV campaign for the Sun newspaper. Back then it was still credited as Jamie Scott & The Town. Again, the original is great, so I just took it up a notch!

How did you get into remixing?

"One of the first remixes I did was ten years ago for a remix competition in The Mix [a now-defunct music production magazine]. They gave feedback in the magazine and said our mix started with great promise before going "tits-up retro-style"! But we had confidence in the track and had only used the lead riff from the original (which we didn't like anyway), so we changed the notes and got it signed as a double A-side to another label. They put out a string of my tracks, eventually, and that one ended up being one of my most popular releases and got great reviews, so that just goes to show – don't let rejection put you off, even if it's from the experts!"

Where do you draw the line between remixing and production?

"The trick is finding a balance between giving a remix project your all and giving all your best ideas away. If it's a vocal mix it's pretty simple, as you can approach it in exactly the same way as you'd approach any vocal track. If not, things can be tricky. My tip is to recycle lots from your other productions - not riffs, but some of your current favourite bass presets and drum samples. No label will mind, as they're commissioning you because they like your stuff.

Around the web: